Somebody to Lean On
by Rangerfan2012
Summary: When the unexpected happens to Mary Lou, can Stephanie help her pick up the pieces? I am a firm believer in Babe HEAs, The first three chapters will be heartbreaking, but everyone will have their own Happily Ever Afters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable is owned by JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, but do I have to give back Ranger?

**A/N: **Any mistakes are mine and this is has not been beta'd. I couldn't remember the names of Mary Lou's kids, so I made some. I do this strictly for fun. I'm not familiar Adams County, Pennsylvania area. I just used Google to find farm land in Pennsylvania.

Chapter 1

Since I became a bounty hunter, I've had more than my fair share of uncomfortable situations. Take today for example, Darrell Foster, decided not to show up for his court date. My cousin, Vinnie, assigned me to return him to the system. On paper it looked like an easy capture. I mean, he probably got busy and forgot, right? Wrong. Darrell is a 350 pound bald man that has a passion for stealing ladies underwear from department stores. The sales girl at Victoria's Secret caught him stuffing panties down his pants. Apparently, this is a long standing tradition for Darrell and he has collected quite a collection of thongs and G-strings. His living room had piles of underwear that towered over me. On the bright side, they cushioned my landing when he threw me across the room. Luckily, I was able to stun him. Unluckily, he was too heavy for me to carry out to my car, so I cuffed him and waited for him to come around. After about a half hour of negotiations, I agreed to buy him two lacy thongs and a pair of bikini briefs in exchange for him walking out to my car and riding to the station. I figured I could afford the cost of the undergarments since my capture fee for Darrell would be five hundred dollars. All in all, it wouldn't have been so bad if, my ex-boyfriend, Joe Morelli, hadn't walked up to me at the station and pulled a mint green thong out of my cleavage. In my hurry to get to the police station, I hadn't noticed it was stuck there.

"Cupcake, that's not wear these things are supposed to be worn." Joe laughed.

"Very funny." I deadpanned, praying that my face didn't show the embarrassment that I was currently feeling.

Joe Morelli and I broke up three months ago and neither of us have any intentions of getting back together. We finally realized that our history together was more of a bad habit that an actual relationship. We make better friends than lovers. He recently began dating Tina Freeman, my niece Mary Alice's elementary school teacher. His mother loves her, but Grandma Bella hates her because she's not Italian.

I left the police station after promising to mail the undergarments to Darrell later this week. I decided to that I would run by Wal-Mart later this week and buy the cheapest underwear I could find. It's not like I promised to buy him expensive panties. Why should I spend my hard on money buying him expensive panties? Right now all I wanted to do was grab the pint of Ben and Jerry's Cotton Candy Ice Cream from my freezer and sit on my couch and watch Ghostbusters for the millionth time. I've watch that movie so much that I can say quote every line from the movie. You would think that I would be tired of it by now, but I find it comforting.

So that's how I planned to spend my Saturday night. Instead of going out with my single friends, like most people my age, I was staring into my pint of ice cream saying Bill Murray's lines with him, contemplating my life. Over the last few years I have had more than my fair share of bad situations. I've been kidnapped, tortured, shot at, and don't get me started on the number of times that my car and apartment has been bombed. But despite of everything, I love my job, and I do what I do because I feel like I'm doing a little part to help make the world a better place. I have no plans to quit bounty hunting anytime soon, but I should eventually start looking into a career where I wouldn't end up cover in garbage almost every day. Maybe I should call Ranger and see if he would let me come back to Rangeman and run searches part-time. It would be nice to have a least a little steady income and the insurance package with come in handy with all my disasters.

Ranger, _(Sigh_) is actually Ricardo Carlos Manoso. My friend, Connie introduced us when I black mailed Vinnie for a job as a bounty hunter. He is a former Army Ranger and currently the Cuban Sex God that stars in my fantasies on an almost nightly basis. Ranger gives new meaning to the phrase 'bad-ass'. He's had the most delicious mocha-latte skin. It's hard to resist the urge to lick him when he's near. Women, and probably some men, want to take a bite out of him. I don't like to kiss and tell, but I've sampled the goods and there are no words to describe just how great he is in bed. I don't admit this to anyone, but I'm in love with him. Unfortunately for me, I am a relationship type of girl and he's told me on more than one occasion that he doesn't do relationships. He's told me that he loves me 'in his own way'. Ranger is the master of applying pressure, mixed signals, and sexual frustration.

I am drawn from my musings by the sound of the locks on my apartment door tumbling. Most women would be terrified at the realization someone breaking into her apartment. Not me, I should replace my door with a revolving one. Apparently, I'm the only person in Trenton that cannot break into my apartment. Lord knows the criminally insane have no problem breaking in.

"Hey, Ranger." I say as I shove a spoonful of ice cream in my mouth. I knew it was him because of the tingles on the back of my neck. If I hadn't felt those tingles, I would have been hiding behind my couch by now.

"Babe…..Stephanie….." Ranger said as he ran his hand through his recently short hair.

Oh My God! I thought as I sat up straight on the couch. First of all, Ranger only uses my first name if it's something really, really bad. Second, Ranger never has nervous gestures like running his hands through his hair. Whatever this is, it has to be bad. Whatever mission that he's about to go on must be extremely dangerous.

"When do you have to leave and when are you coming back?" I asked, trying to mask the fear in my voice.

"It's not a mission. Tank and I were down at the down at the police station returning Travis Barroni to the system, when a call came in. I told Morelli that I would come by and pick you up." Ranger explained.

"Ranger, what's going on? Why did you tell Morelli that you would pick me up?" I asked as every possible bad thought runs through my head. "I don't have another stalker, do I? I haven't brought in anyone dangerous in months." I stand up and began pacing. "Oh my God! Did Scrogg escape from prison? That's it, isn't it? He's coming back after us, isn't he? I'm not going to a safe house. I won't let you lock me away." I rambled.

"No, Babe, it's not Scrogg. There's no need for you to go to a safe house." Ranger stated, as he walked over to my couch, sat down, and pulled me into his lap. "Stephanie, I need you to calm down, so we can talk."

For the record, in the history of the world, no good conversations have ever started with 'we need to talk'.

"Just tell me." I pleaded afraid of what I might hear.

"Babe, while Tank and I were at the station a call came in from the Adams County Sheriff's office in Pennsylvania." Ranger explained.

Adams County? Why does that sound familiar? Oh, that's right. That's where my best friend Mary Lou's husband, Lenny, takes their kids every year. Lenny has a cousin that has a small farm there. He and the kids take a trip to visit his aunt and uncle for a week every year in the summer. It's a tradition that Lenny's father started when he was a child. He likes the father/son bonding time and it gives Mary Lou a chance to unwind without the kids. This year the kids had obligations so Lenny chose to go by himself, promising Mary Lou that she I could take a small vacation away from the kids later on in the year. The oldest, Mikey, just turned twelve and has junior high football practice all week. Tommy, the ten year old, is the Burg's paper boy and takes his job very seriously, not trusting any of his friends to fill in for him for a whole week. Lenny and Mary Lou's youngest, Danny started Tae Kwon Do this summer and he didn't want to miss his class that meets twice a week.

I was lost in thought when I realized that Ranger was still talking. "I'm sorry, Ranger. Could you repeat that?"

"The Adams County Sheriff's Department called the Trenton P.D. There was a farm accident on Lenny's uncle's farm. Lenny was working on a piece of farm equipment that was used for cutting hay. The heavy piece of equipment fell on him." Ranger explained.

"Is…is he going to be okay?" I stammered.

"Babe, when Lenny didn't return to the house for dinner, his aunt went to the barn to look for him. His aunt thought that Lenny might have lost track of time working and didn't realize that it was time for dinner. When she got to the barn, it was already too late. The Adams County coroner said that by his estimation Lenny had probably been dead over an hour. Morelli requested that he be the one that informs Mary Lou. He thought that it might help hearing it from a friend. We thought that it would be a good idea if you were there when Morelli told her, for moral support. Tank is going to call Morellli when we head over there. That way we can all arrive at the same time

By this point I was crying so hard, that Ranger was nothing more than a blur. My heart was breaking for Mary Lou. She and Lenny began dating when she was fourteen and he was sixteen, but we had both known him our entire lives. And now Lenny was gone.

"Babe, I know this is hard, but you need to be strong for Mary Lou. I called Ella on the way over here and asked her to pack an overnight bag for each of us. Mary Lou will probably need you tonight and if she doesn't have a problem with it, I can stay on her couch. You be strong for Mary Lou and let me be strong for you." Ranger offered.

I quietly nodded, as I stood up. Ranger stood up beside me and wrapped his arm around my waist, and guided me out of the apartment. After locking my door, he led me to the elevator where he wrapped both arms around me on the ride down. Just outside of my building, Tank was parked in the SUV, which was idling. Ranger rode in the back seat with me, with his arms around me in a gentle embrace. By the time we arrived at Mary Lou's I was able to collect myself. There was another Rangeman SUV parked on the street waiting and Joe pulled up right behind us.

"Why is there another Rangeman SUV here?" I asked.

"I called Bobby while you and Ranger were in your apartment. I thought it might be good to have a medic on standby." Tank explained. "Lester is here, too. Ranger will call us if you, Mary Lou, or the kids need us."

Joe opened the back door to let me out. "Cupcake, I know that Mary Lou is going to appreciate you being here for her." Joe said as he gave me a quick hug.

Ranger, Joe, and I walked up to Mary Lou's front porch. As Joe rang the doorbell, all I could think about was that in the next few minutes Mary Lou and the boys lives were about to change, drastically.

**A/N: ** I've had this story in my head for a while now, but had trouble making myself want to write it since this is sort of based on my family. My father died the exact same way 14 years ago. Only instead of my aunt, it was my grandmother that found him. I've learned that coping with death is something that you get through, but not necessarily over. Even fourteen years later, I can't watch the movie that I was watching when I got the phone call that my father had died on our family farm. I'm not sure how often I will update this story. My goal is one chapter a week, unless I find time to write more, but I will finish this story. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I really get into a story and then it gets abandoned, but I also understand that life gets in the way and sometimes it can't be helped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable is owned by JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, but do I have to give Ranger back?

Chapter 2

It took Mary Lou until the second ring to come to the door. Just before she answered the door, we could hear her telling the boys to settle down and go to their rooms. When the door opened we were greeted by a smiling Mary Lou.

"Hey, Steph!" She said cheerfully. "Come on in! Did we have plans that I forgot about? I forgot to get a babysitter for the boys. Lenny and I told Mikey that we won't let him babysit his brothers until he turns thirteen." She explained to Joe, Ranger, and I as she led us into the living room.

"No…uh…we didn't have plans." I stammered.

My stammering must have put Mary Lou on alert, because she suddenly stopped walking and slowly turned around.

"Steph, what's wrong? Is there someone after you again? Is that why Joe and Ranger are with you?" She asked.

"No, Mary Lou. For the first time, I can honestly say that there is no one after Steph, at least not that we know of." Joe replied. "We actually came to talk to you."

"Oh…okay." Mary Lou said as she continued into the living room. Once she sat down on the couch, I sat next to her with Ranger on my other side. Joe sat in a navy wing-backed chair that was across from the couch. I noticed that Joe grimaced when he saw that Ranger was holding my hand.

"Where are my manners?" Mary Lou giggled. "Would any of you like some coffee? Steph, I have double fudge cake in the kitchen."

Joe, Ranger, and I all politely declined her offer.

"Alright, now you're starting to scare me." Mary Lou laughed nervously. "There has to be something seriously wrong if Steph is turning down my double fudge cake."

She was right. Mary Lou's double fudge cake could give my mom's and Ella's a run for their money.

Joe cleared his throat before he began. "Mary Lou, earlier we received a call down at the station from the Adams County Sheriff's Department."

"Really? Why? Lenny didn't mention that anything was wrong when he called me a few hours ago. Did something happen to his aunt or uncle? Is one of them in the hospital? I'm surprised Lenny didn't call me." She said with a voice on the edge of panic.

"Uh…Lenny's Aunt and Uncle are fine." Joe continued. "Mary Lou….there was an accident involving at Lenny at his aunt and uncle's farm."

Mary Lou stood up and began pacing across the living room floor. "Is he hurt? Is that why he hasn't called me tonight? Why didn't his aunt and uncle call me? They know the boys and I would want to be at the hospital with Lenny. It would have been easier to call me than to call the Trenton Police Department and have you deliver the message to me. Do you know which hospital Lenny is at?" Mary Lou glanced at the clock on the wall before she continued. "It's almost Danny and Tommy's bedtime. Steph, do you think that you mom would be willing to come over here and watch the boys so that you could go with me to the hospital in Pennsylvania. I know it's short notice, but it would probably be better to leave the boys here and I would rather not travel by myself."

"Mary Lou, I think you need to sit down." I gentle coaxed her as I tried to hold back my tears.

"Joe, is there something that you're not telling me?" She asked as she sat down next to me on the couch. I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew her world was about to flip upside down, so I used my free hand to hold hers.

"Mary Lou, I'm sorry to have to tell you this but I thought it might be better to hear from a friend. A piece of farming equipment, a bush hog, fell on Lenny. I talked to the sheriff's deputy on the phone. It looks like Lenny was reattaching the blade when something caused the tractor to roll forward. When the tractor rolled forward a piece of the bush hog fell on Lenny. When he didn't come in at dinner, his aunt got worried and so his uncle went down to the barn to look for him. His uncle was able to get the equipment off of him and attempted to perform CPR, but it was too late he was already gone." Joe explained.

"Noooo!" Mary Lou cried out. "I just talked to him this afternoon! He was fine when I talked to him!"

Mary Lou's outburst caused her boys to come running from their bedrooms and Tank, Bobby, and Lester to come running in from the outside.

"Mom?" Mikey questioned. "What's wrong?"

"Boys, I need you to do something for me. Could the three of you go to Mikey's room. I'll be in there in a minute." Mary Lou said as she tried to control her tears in front of her sons.

"Mom?" Tommy said as he looked nervously at Tank, Lester, and Bobby.

"Tommy, these men are Aunt Steph's friends. They won't hurt me." Mary Lou promised.

"If you're sure…" Tommy said, still unsure of why his home had been invaded by giant muscled men.

"Come on, guys." Mikey said with a look of confusion on his face, as he ushered his little brothers down the hallway towards his room.

Once Mikey's door was closed, Mary Lou laid her head on my shoulder and began to cry heavily. I cried with my best friend. While I tried to comfort her, I felt Ranger put his arms around me, supporting me. Bobby opened his medical bag and pulled out a syringe.

"Hold it! Don't come near her with that thing." I ordered. "Those boys in there are going to need their mother. You're not going to give her a sedative unless she asks for it."

"Okay, Bomber. I was only trying to help." Bobby replied, placing the syringe back into his medical bag.

"Are sure it was Lenny? Are you sure he's gone?" Mary Lou sobbed. "He was fine when I talked to him."

"When someone dies alone, it's standard procedure for a family member or friend to identify the body. His aunt and uncle confirmed it was Lenny." Joe explained.

"How…how am I going to go into that room and tell my boys that their father is gone? They're so young. How do I tell them that their father isn't coming back? That now they have to grow up without a father." Mary Lou cried.

"I know it's hard, but you have to tell them that while their father may not be here physically, he will still always be with them." Ranger said. "Tell them that Lenny will always be watching out for them."

"Steph, will you go in there with me to tell them. I…I can't do this by myself." Mary Lou said as she attempted to get her tears under control.

"I'll be with you every step of the way." I told her as we stood up and walked down the hall with Ranger following behind us. Before we went into Mikey's room, I turned to Ranger and said, "It would probably be best if you waited out here."

Ranger leaned over and kidded me just below my ear and said, "I plan on waiting in the hall, in case you need me."

"Thank you." I whispered back before following Mary Lou into Mikey's room.

Mary Lou walked over and sat on the edge of Mikey's bed. Mikey sat on her right side and Tommy sat on her left. Danny climbed into his mother's lap. I decided to stand off to the side, a few feet away.

"Mom, what's going on? Why are Mr. Morelli and all of Aunt Steph's friends here?" Tommy asked.

"You guys know how daddy goes to Uncle Bernie and Aunt Gloria's every year to help on the farm?" Mary Lou asked with a shaky voice. I could tell that she was doing her best not to cry in front of her boys. I watched her as she tried to be strong for her boys, caused tear to flow freely from my eyes.

"Yeah, Mommy." Danny said. "Usually we go with Daddy, but this year we stayed with you."

"That's right, you did." Mary Lou said with a small, sad smile. "Well, there was an accident at Uncle Bernie's farm."

"Did Dad get hurt? Is that why everybody is here?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah Mikey, it is. The accident was really bad and your Daddy died tonight." Mary Lou explained with tears rolling down her face.

Mikey and Tommy began crying. I decided to sit on the other side of Tommy, placing my arm around him.

Danny looked at his mother and brothers in confusion. Danny was barely six years old and hasn't fully grasped the concept of death yet. "So when is Daddy coming back?" He asked.

"Baby, God needed Daddy to come live with him, so Daddy is going to live in Heaven from now on." Mary Lou explained.

"Can't you call him and tell him that we don't want him to move?" Danny cried.

"It doesn't work that way, Baby. It was Daddy's time to go to Heaven." Mary Lou told Danny.

We sat with the boys for close to an hour, mostly hugging and crying. Occasionally, one of the boys would ask a question and Mary Lou would try to answer in a way that the boys could easily understand. Mostly we cried silently. Eventually Ranger opened the door and quietly called me over.

Ranger closed the door behind us and said, "Ella dropped off our bags and some breakfast casseroles and fruit for breakfast in the morning. Do we need to call anyone for Mary Lou?"

"Both of Lenny's parents died a few years ago. Mary Lou's dad isn't in the best of health. I'll ask her if she wants us to call them tonight or if she wants us to wait until in the morning." I explained. Mary Lou was a late in life child and her parents are older than mine.

"Ella also brought some herbal tea for Mary Lou. She thought that it would be better than giving Mary Lou a sedative." Ranger said.

"Thank you for doing all of this for Mary Lou." I said hugging him. I think I took him off guard because it took a couple of seconds before he hugged me back. He's not used to me initiating contact.

"Babe, you know that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Mary Lou's is your best friend, so of course I want to help. Do you think someone should call your mom? She'll probably want to help." He asked.

"I'll probably never hear the end of it if I don't call her tonight, but let's wait until in the morning. If we start calling people tonight, everyone in the 'Burg will show up here tonight. I don't think that Mary Lou needs to go through that tonight. If she says otherwise, then we can make calls. I'm surprised that people aren't ringing the doorbell or calling to try to find out what's going on." I told him.

"Joe went through the house and turned all the ringers off of the phones. I have Tank, Lester, and Bobby hanging out on the front porch to discourage anyone from ringing the doorbell." Ranger explained. "Joe left a few minutes ago. He said that if anyone needs anything to give him a call. Tank, Bobby, and Lester will leave in a little while."

Mikey's bedroom door opened and Mary Lou and the boys came out. She asked Mikey to help his brothers get ready for bed while she spoke with me and Ranger.

"The boys want to stay in my room tonight. Would you mind staying tonight? I may need a shoulder to cry once the boys are asleep." Mary Lou asked me.

"I had already planned on staying. Ranger asked earlier if you would mind it if he stayed on the couch tonight. Is that okay?" I asked.

"Tommy and Danny have twin beds in their room. I put fresh sheet on this afternoon. Ranger your feet will probably hang off the bed, but it would be more comfortable than the couch." Mary Lou offered.

Ranger nodded that the bed would be fine.

"Do you want me to call your Mom tonight?" I asked her.

"Oh my! I haven't even thought about calling my mother. Could you call her, but tell her that I can't come get her until the morning. I don't want to leave my boys tonight. She never learned to drive and I don't want Dad trying to drive tonight." She explained.

"I can send one of my men over to pick them up in the morning, if that's okay?" Ranger offered.

"I would really appreciate that Ranger. I'm going to get the boys settled in my room. Once they're asleep, I'll join you in the living room." Mary Lou told us.

While Mary Lou helped the boys, I called her mother and told her about Lenny and to expect one of Ranger's men to pick them up in the morning. All they needed to do was call me when they were ready. Ranger and I took turns using the guest bathroom to get ready for bed. When all was said and done it was almost 11 p.m. and Mary Lou still hadn't come out of her bedroom. I peaked in to check on her and she was asleep with Tommy on one side and Danny on the other. Mikey was lying across the foot of the bed. Today had taken a lot out of her, so I left the door to her room cracked so I could hear if they needed me during the night.

When I got back to the living room Ranger was on the phone. He was wearing black lounge pants and a black t-shirt that looked like the sleeves had been ripped off. In other circumstances, I would have been drooling. I motioned to him that I was going to bed. He nodded as he continued to his conversation in hushed tones.

I decided to crawl into the closet bed, but I couldn't fall asleep. Instead, I laid there silently crying. My heart was breaking for my best friend. About ten minutes later, I felt the mattress dip.

"It's just me." Ranger said has he placed my back against his chest.

It probably wasn't a good idea for Ranger to be in bed with me.

"Don't worry, Babe. If one of the kids gets up during the night, I'll hear them and move to the other bed." He told me.

"I wish that there was more that I could do to help her." I whispered.

"Babe, just the fact that you're here is helping her more than you could ever imagine." He whispered back before placing a kiss in my hair.

I finally was able to fall asleep with Ranger's warm, comforting arms around me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable is owned by JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, but do I have to give Ranger back?

**A/N:** This should be the last 'sad' chapter. I'm planning on making Chapter 4 the beginning of the healing process for Mary Lou and her boys. I'm sorry about the long wait. My father liked to volunteer to work with the local county fair each fall. Since the county fair meant so much to my dad, my family still volunteers to help in the educational building each year.

Chapter 3

It was a little passed two in the morning when I heard Mary Lou padding down the hallway. I tried to get up so I could check on her but warm Cuban heater had his arms wrapped around me and one leg thrown over both of mine.

"Ranger." I whispered.

"Yeah, Babe." Ranger said, using his sexy, sleepy voice that I love so much.

"I need to get up. I just heard Mary Lou go into the kitchen. I want to make sure that she's okay." I told him.

He unwrapped himself from around me and I walked into the kitchen. Mary Lou was holding a can of coffee in one hand and a bottle of tequila in the other. Her eyes were blood-shot from crying.

"I can't decide which of these I need more." She said quietly.

"How about we put both of those away and I'll make you my famous hot chocolate." I offered.

"Steph, you know I love you, but your famous hot chocolate is instant Swiss Miss." She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but I don't follow the directions on the back of the box. I use milk instead of water and one and a half packages of the hot chocolate mix." I told her. I took the coffee and the tequila from her hands and put them away. Then I search the pantry for the hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. Through the magic of the microwave, it was only minutes before we were sitting at the breakfast table, sipping the hot chocolate.

"Steph, how are we going to survive this? Lenny and I had a system. I was a stay-at-home mom and he had the plumbing business. How am I going to provide for my family now that Lenny's gone? I have no work experience. And the funeral….how am I going to pay for Lenny's funeral? Lenny made a comfortable living, but it's not like we have a ton of extra money lying around. I'll probably have to dip into the boy's college fund." Mary Lou sighed.

"We'll figure it out. I'll help however I can. We'll come up with the money, somehow." I told her.

"Steph, I know you want to help, but it's not your responsibility to help me figure out how to pay for the funeral." Mary Lou protested.

"Do I need to remind you of the spit swear?" I asked, as I causally took a sip of my hot chocolate.

"You can't be serious. We made that swear when we were seven." Mary Lou said, rolling her eyes.

When Mary Lou and I were kids, we decided to spit swear that we would always do anything for each other. Even if that meant that she would have to sell her favorite Barbie doll or that I would have to sell my prize Wonder Woman doll.

"Mary Lou, I'm serious. I'll so whatever it takes to help you. That's what friends do for each other. You would do the same for me, without hesitation. Besides, you're more like a sister than a friend, anyway. I'm closer to you than my own sister Valerie." I explained as I reached over and patted her hand.

"Thanks, Steph. I always could count on you." Mary Lou sighed. "I'm going to need to look for a job. Do you think that Valerie or your mom might be willing to watch the boys for me? I won't be able to pay very much. I would ask my mom to watch them, but with Dad's health the way it is, she has enough on her plate. She could probably handle one day a week but anything more than that might put a strain on her and dad."

"You know my mom would be glad to help. Dad will love having boys around. He's be surround by women for so long. He'll be thrilled to have someone to watch sports with." I told her.

"I'll need to start looking for a job after the funeral. Maybe I can get a job as a waitress or maybe a hotel maid. The fact that I have no prior work experience isn't going to help me find a job." She worried.

"Let's take this one thing at a time. First, let's get through the funeral. Then we'll worry about finding you a job." I said.

Mary Lou yawned.

"Why don't you go back to bed and try to get some more sleep." I suggested. "Maybe my Mom and Grandma can watch the boys while we go to the funeral home tomorrow. I'm assuming that you want to go to Stiva's."

"Yeah, that would probably be best. My mother would probably throw a fit if I used any other funeral home." She agreed.

I walked with Mary Lou down the hall. I gave her one more hug before she slipped into her bedroom. When I got back to Tommy and Danny's room, Ranger was sitting up on the bed waiting on me.

"How's she doing?" He asked.

She's worried about how she's going to be able to pay for the funeral. She said that she would probably have to dip into the boy's college funds." I explained.

"Come here." Ranger said, reaching his hand out to me. I took his hand as he pulled me into his lap. "Lenny was a good man. When you go with Mary Lou to the funeral home tomorrow, make sure that she picks out the best of the best for Lenny. He deserves it."

"But Ranger…" I began to protest.

"No buts, Babe. I need you to promise me that you will make sure that Mary Lou doesn't focus on the cost. Can you promise me that?" He asked with his arms still wrapped around me.

"I just don't know how…" I began.

"Just promise me, Babe? Please?"

Rats! He knows that I can never say no when he says please.

"Okay," I agreed. "I promise."

"Good," he said as he kidded my forehead. "Now try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for Mary Lou and you need to rest so you can be there for her when she needs you."

I settled back into bed with Ranger's arms around me. I love sleeping wrapped in his arms, it sort of centers me. I only wish that he would change his stance on relationships, so we could sleep that way more often. With Ranger keeping me warm, I fell asleep within a few minutes.

"Five more minutes." I said, as I tried to shoo away the small hand that was attempting to pry my left eye open.

"Aunt Steph, are you awake yet?" I heard Danny ask. "Mr. Ranger said to come get you for breakfast. He said to tell you that if you didn't get up and get ready, that he would eat your breakfast and that you could eat his oatmeal."

I sat straight up in bed at the threat of eating oatmeal.

"Danny, you tell Mr. Ranger not to touch my breakfast, or I'll be very mad at him." I warned. "Is the bathroom free?"

"Yeah, Tommy just came out." Danny told me, before leaning forward to whisper. "You might want to use Mommy and Daddy's bathroom. It's empty. Tommy usually stinks our bathroom up."

"Thanks for the warning, Little Man." I said. "Tell you mom and Ranger that I'm going to take a quick shower before breakfast."

"Alright." Danny said, before running out of the room yelling, "Mr. Ranger, Aunt Steph said don't touch her breakfast! She'll be mad at you!"

I took a quick shower in Mary Lou's bathroom, threw on some make-up, jeans, t-shirt, and sandals. I decided that a pony tail would be easier than trying to tame my hair. At least I would be presentable once people began dropping by to offer Mary Lou their condolences. Once the news of Lenny's death hits the 'Burg, Mary Lou's house will have more visitors than Grand Central Station.

When I walked into the kitchen, Ranger was pulling a breakfast casserole out of the oven. Mary Lou was sitting at the breakfast table with Mikey, Tommy, and Danny.

"Ranger insisted that I sit with the boys while he got breakfast ready." Mary Lou explained.

I nodded as I poured myself a cup of coffee before I went to sit at the table with Mary Lou and her boys. Ranger sat the casserole and orange juice on the table and we started breakfast. Ranger was the only one eating oatmeal, while the rest of us at the sausage, egg, and cheese casserole. We were just finishing breakfast when Mary Lou's parents arrived with Tank and Lester.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" The boys yelled as they left the table to greet their grandparents.

"Come on, guys." Lester told them. "Why don't we go play your Xbox and give your mom and grandparents a chance to talk?"

Ranger and I began clearing the table while Mr. and Mrs. Molnar sat down at the table. Once the table was cleared, Ranger and I joined them.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry that you have to go through this." Mrs. Molnar said, patting her hand.

"I always like Lenny, even though I caught him trying to sneak into your bedroom in high school." Mary Lou's dad said with a small, sad smile.

We discussed the plans for the day. It was decided that Mary Lou's father would stay with the boys at the house, while Mary Lou, her mom, and I went to Stiva's to make the funeral arrangements. Ranger suggested that Lester could hang around the house to help with the boys.

Ranger and Tank left after breakfast. They needed to check in with the Rangeman office. I walked Ranger and Tank out to the SUV. He kissed me on my forehead and told me to call him if I needed him for anything during the day. Then he promised to stop back by later today to check on us.

We arrived at Stiva's at ten in the morning. Dave and Scooter were waiting for us on the front porch.

"Mrs. Stankovic, Scooter and I are so sorry for your loss." Dave said as he solemnly shook Mary Lou's hand.

"Thank you and please call me Mary Lou." She replied. "This is my mother, Gloria Molnar, and of course you already know Steph."

"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Molnar and you too, Steph. I just wish it was under better circumstances." Scooter greeted us. Mrs. Molnar offered her hand for Scooter to shake and I nodded in greeting.

"Mary Lou," Dave said. "Why don't we go to my office and discuss the arrangements?"

Scooter excused himself to go back cookies for a viewing that was scheduled for this afternoon, and Dave led the rest of us to his office.

While making the arrangements, Mary Lou tried to ask about the pricing and the cost of her choices. I noticed that everything had the prices removed from the paper work.

"I don't understand why there are no prices on anything." Mary Lou worried. "I really need to make sure that I can afford to pay for everything."

"Mare, why don't you pick out what you would like, then Dave could tell us the total and we can make cuts from there." I suggested.

"Mary Lou, don't worry about the prices. The costs of the arrangements have already been covered. I thought that you knew." Dave explained. "Someone, who would like to remain anonymous, has covered the cost of the viewing, the funeral including any floral arrangements that you choose, and the headstone of your choice for the gravesite."

Mary Lou, her mother, and I exchanged confused looks. Then a look of understanding reached Mary Lou's face and she told me, 'Tell him that the boys and I said thank you for everything."

It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about. When I did, I nodded that I would pass along the message.

Once everything was planned, we went back to Mary Lou's house. Word must have got out about Lenny because my mom and Grandma Mazur were setting out enough food in the kitchen to feed an army for lunch.

"Your friend, Ranger, called and told us about Lenny." My mom explained. "Your Grandmother told everyone in the 'Burg to wait until after lunch before they begin stopping by to offer condolences.

"Thanks. Mom." I told her. "I'm sure Mary Lou appreciates it."

"It's no trouble. Mary Lou is practically a member of our family. We'll do everything we can to help her get through this." Mom said. "Now go into the living room and tell everyone that lunch is ready."

The next three days, Mary Lou and the boys seemed to be on auto pilot. I was relieved that Grandma Mazur behaved herself at the viewing. She said that there was no way that she was going to cause trouble at Lenny's viewing. She loves Mary Lou too much to put her through that.

The funeral service was beautiful. I sat with the Mary Lou and her boys at Mary Lou's request. Lenny had a love of country music that very few people knew about, so Mary Lou had Vince Gill's version of "Go Rest High on That Mountain" played at the end of the service.

Over the last few days, occasionally one of the boys would break down and cry. Mary Lou would try to hold back her tears the best she could in front of the boys, but once the boys were in bed she was unable to fight the tears. Those times, I would sit with her while she cried. Sometimes I would try to say words of comfort and other times I would sit and cry with her. That first night after the funeral was probably the hardest on her. It was the night that she really let it sink in that Lenny was really gone. As we sat on the couch and I watched my best friend cry over the loss of her husband. I made a silent vow that I would do anything and everything I could to help my friend through this.

**A/N:** Just a reminder that the tone of the story will start changing with chapter 4, as Mary Lou begins to pick up the pieces and move forward with her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable is owned by JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, but do I have to give Ranger back?

**A/N:** Thank you for all of the kind words (PMs and reviews) that you have left me. I appreciate all of them more than you could ever know.

Chapter 4

It's been three weeks since Lenny's funeral. The morning after the funeral, Mary Lou's phone began constantly ringing off the hook. You would think that it would have been other mothers in the 'Burg calling to offer Mary Lou help, but no. Instead, it was single 'Burg men (and a few married ones) that were calling to ask Mary Lou out to coffee, or dinner, or even to a movie. Mary Lou barely had time to hang up the phone before it would begin ringing again. Mary Lou eventually had to unplug her house phone. Only a handful of people close to Mary Lou had her cell phone number, so if anyone important needed to call they could reach her on her cell. I knew that people Grandma Mazur's age sometimes used the obituaries for speed dating, but this was just ridiculous. The men ranged from all ages. The youngest man being only twenty-seven years old to the oldest being eighty. I'm pretty sure that the only 'Burg men that didn't call to ask Mary Lou out were Joe, Carl Constanza, and Eddie Gazarra who is married to my cousin, Shirley. Joe, Carl, and Eddie have been stopping by once a week to take care of the yard work, so that it was one less thing that Mary Lou would have to worry about.

Today Mary Lou decided to dive into the job hunt. Mary Lou had called the button factory first thing to see if they were hiring, but was told that they had no positions available at the moment. She got the same answer at the personal products plant. Mary Lou decided to send Mikey, Tommy, and Danny over at friends' houses, so that we could search the classifieds in peace. There were newspapers spread all over Mary Lou's dining room table.

"I can't believe that strip clubs use classified ads to hire exotic dancers." Mary Lou mumbled. "There are at least seven ads looking for dancers."

"They have to find employees somewhere." I said, as I used a red felt tip marker to circle an ad for a file clerk position.

"I guess you're right." She said as she circled an ad.

I sat my marker down and looked at her. "Please tell me you didn't just circle a want ad for an exotic dancer."

"What?" Mary Lou said as she looked at me confused. "Good Lord, no! That was an ad for a receptionist at a real estate firm, but if I can't find a job in the next week or two, I may have to reconsider." She sat her pen down and stretched, as she tried to work a kink out of her neck. "Lenny's aunt and uncle had a small insurance policy that covered accidents on the farm. If I'm really careful that money should help keep us afloat, but I have three growing boys to feed and the bigger they get the more expensive it's going to become. I need to find a job fast. Hopefully, one that will have steady hours where I can stil be home with the boys in the evenings. I can always sell the plumbing business, but it will take time to find a buyer. It was such a small company being just the two of us. Lenny handled the plumbing and I handled the books. I won't be able to get very much money if and when I go to sell it."

"I'm going to the kitchen to get some more coffee. Want some?" I asked.

"Yeah, and bring me a piece of Mrs. Santini's cake." Mary Lou told me. Mary Lou's next door neighbor had brought a Chocolate Coconut Cake by yesterday afternoon that was amazing.

"Do you really think that I would go into a kitchen that has cake and not bring back a couple of pieces?" I asked in shock.

"A couple of pieces for you. I just want to make sure that one of the pieces you bring back is for me." Mary Lou laughed.

I came back into the dining room to find Mary Lou searching the internet for job openings in the area. "Find anything good?" I asked as I sat down a tray with two steaming cups of coffee and two slices of cake on the table.

"More of the same." Mary Lou said, before taking a bite of her piece of cake. "You know what? I realized something last night."

"What's that?" I asked, with a mouthful of cake.

"I was lying in bed last night, missing Lenny, and suddenly felt a peace come over me. It was sort of like when Lenny would hug me. That's when I realized that no matter what happens, the boys and I are going to be alright." Mary Lou explained.

"And you will be. Why don't we start working on your resume so that you can start applying for some of these jobs tomorrow? Mom said that she would watch Danny and Tommy tomorrow and I promised Mikey that I would take him to Rangeman tomorrow after his morning football practice. Ranger and Lester promised Mikey after the funeral that they would show him some exercises that could help him with football." I told her.

"Are you sure you don't mind taking him with you to Rangeman. I know that you probably need to be looking for skips instead. You haven't been searching for skips much in the last few weeks. The vein in Vinnie's forehead is probably about to pop." Mary Lou asked.

"I've called Connie or stop by the office almost every day. With the exception of a few regulars, people have been showing up for their court dates. I took Mooner and Dougie in yesterday before I came by here. Besides, when I take Mikey to Rangeman I will be working. Ranger asked me if I would start running searches two days a week. I'll be working on that while Mikey is in the Rangeman gym working with the guys."

"It sounds like a plan. It would probably be good for Mikey to be around some men anyway. With the exception of football practice, it's been hard to get him to leave the house. The only way I got him to leave today was telling him that I needed him and his brothers to go over to friends' houses, so that I could start looking for a job. I told him that his brothers would want to stay with him if he stayed here instead of going to a friend's house."

Mary Lou and I typed up a resume and printed multiple copies for her job search tomorrow. On my way out the door, Mary Lou stopped me and said, "I don't know how to thank you and your family for everything that you've been doing to help me."

"It's no problem. You would do the same for me if I were in your shoes." I shrugged.

"Of course I would, but I hope that you never have to experience this kind of heart ache. Of all the things that I thought I would experience in m y thirties, Lenny dying was never one of them. But despite going through this, I still wouldn't trade one day I spent with Lenny for anything. A little time with Lenny was much better than not having any time at all."

Later that night I was lying in bed in my thinking position. What Mary Lou had said earlier about 'having a little time with Lenny was better than no time at all' kept replaying over and over again in my mind. I would probably never experience the heartache of my husband dying, but the heartache of losing Ranger would be just as bad. I think that the fact the he could go on a mission and possibly never come back is why he keeps me at arm's length. He probably thinks that he's protecting me from going through what Mary Lou is experiencing. Lenny dying is proof that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Lenny was at his aunt and uncle's farm, not in the middle of a war zone, and he's never coming back. Ranger doesn't seem to realize that he isn't protecting me from heartache, instead he's adding to it. Unfortunately, once Ranger gets something in his head, there's no convincing him otherwise.

On one hand I appreciate the fact that he thinks that he's trying to protect me. Ranger tends to have a one tract mind when it comes to protecting me physically or emotionally. One of these days, he needs to realize that he's not doing either one of us any favors.

On the other hand, it's not entirely his fault. I've wasted a lot of time with the on-again/off-again thing with Joe. And to be honest, I'm too chicken to admit my feeling to him. He's already sent me back to Joe once. What if I tell him how I feel and he tells me that I need to go back to Joe again? Or worse, what if I misread his actions and all that he really feels is nothing more than friendship.

Maybe things would change if I told him that I'm in love with him. Or maybe they wouldn't. I will probably never know because there is no way I'll ever be brave enough to confess my feelings.

**A/N:** Just a quick note. I know that phone calls asking a widow out the morning after the funeral seems a little extreme, but this actually happened to my mother. In fact, by the time we arrived home from the funeral there were messages on the answering machine wanting to take my mother out to lunch or coffee. Needless to say it was a long time before my mother began dating again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Anything recognizable is owned by JE. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, but do I have to give Ranger back?

**A/N:** Thank you for all of the kind words (PMs and reviews that you guys have left me. I appreciate all of them more than you could ever know.

Chapter 5

The next morning, just before noon, I picked up a very sullen and withdrawn Mikey from his morning football practice.

"How was football practice?" I asked as he put his seat belt on and proceeded to slouch down in the front seat of my 2001 sort of red Ford Escort. The only answer I got was crossing his arms in front of his chest and shrugging.

"Okay….are you excited about hanging out with the some of the guys in the Rangemand gym?" I asked, in a second attempt to get Mikey to talk to me. Instead of answering he slouched down further in the seat and shrugged again.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How about you? Why don't you pick out a place for us to eat lunch? What do you think? Pizza? Burger? Chicken? You know me, I'll eat anything." I offered, hoping that the third time would be the charm.

"Can't we just go straight to Rangeman? Mr. Ranger said that Mrs. Ella fixes lunch every day for his employees. Can we just eat there?" Mikey asked quietly.

"Sure, if that's what you want to do. It's fine with me. I need to warn you though that Ranger doesn't allow dessert in his break room, but if you get desperate, I have a hidden stash of TastyKakes and candy bars in the back drawer of the desk in my cubicle." I told him.

Mikey was quiet the entire way to Rangeman. When I pulled into the parking lot I was relieved to see Lester waiting for us. None of the Merry Men, with the exception of Lester, are known for being big talkers. Hopefully, he would have better luck getting Mikey to talk than I did.

"Dude! How was practice?" Lester asked, are you ready for us to 'pump you up' Rangeman Style." Lester said using his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.

Then it happened…..Mikey grinned. It was the closest thing to I smile that Mikey has done since his father died.

"Practice was good." Mikey told him. "I'm ready to see the Rangeman gym though. I bet it's cool."

Its official Lester Santos is a miracle worker.

"First you eat, then you and Lester can check out the Rangeman gym. Your mom would never forgive me if you passed out from hunger." I told Mikey.

"C'mon, Aunt Steph. I'm not that hungry anyway." Mikey said with a hint of whining in his voice.

"Beautiful right, big guy. If you want to be able to play football, you need to eat healthy." Lester told him as he wrapped his arm around Mikey's neck and pretended to give him a nuggie.

"Yes, sir." Mikey said with an almost grin.

Once I made sure that Mikey had everything he needed for lunch, I grabbed a sandwich, apple and bottle of water for myself to take back to my desk for lunch. I decided that Mikey might be more talkative if I wasn't hanging around. Before I headed back to my desk, I gave Lester one finally warning not to give Mikey any advice about girls and dating. I didn't want Mary Lou to end of hating me for the rest of her life.

About an hour and a half later, I decided to walk over to the monitors to check on Lester and Mikey in the gym. Cal and Manny were on monitor duty.

"Does it look like Mikey is behaving himself?" I asked.

"It looks like there all having fun in there." Manny told me.

I looked at the monitor and saw that Ranger and Hal had joined Mikey and Lester in the gym. They were all tossing footballs back and forth across the large mat that was usually used for sparring.

"I didn't know we had footballs here?" I asked.

"Ranger had Ella pick up some sports equipment yesterday. She also bought soccer balls, basketballs, baseballs and baseball mitts, in case Mikey got bored with the football." Cal explained.

"I thought that they were going to help Mikey with football drills?" I didn't want to complain, but it looked like they're just tossing the ball around. Mikey could have done that in his backyard with his friends.

"Hal has been helping Mikey with his throwing techniques. Hal played college football in the SEC before he joined the army." Manny told me.

"Wow! I didn't know Hal used to play college football." I exclaimed.

"Almost half the guys at Rangeman played football, at least in high school. Hal was good enough to get a scholarship." Cal said.

I was about to ask where Hal went to college when my cell phone rang with Mary Lou's ringtone.

"Yo!" I answered.

"Uh…Steph, your mom would throw a fit if she heard you answer the phone like that?" Mary Lou said.

"Sorry, I tend to answer the phone like that after I spend the day working with these guys. They have the worst phone manners." I explained.

"How's Mikey doing? He isn't getting in the way of work is he?" She questioned.

"He's doing fine. I had a hard time getting him to talk to me on the way over here, but he seems to have loosened up since he got around the guys. He's in the gym with Ranger, Lester, and Hal working on throwing techniques." I told her. "How's the job hunt going?"

"Not well. Everywhere I go the position has either already been filled or they say that they will put my application on file. I applied for the file clerk position at a law office and the receptionist said that she would put my file with the others. Steph, I swear I saw her throw my resume in the trash. I stopped my Pino's for lunch and he offered me a position as a waitress. It's only fifteen hours a week, in the evening, and pays minimum wage, but it's the only option I have so far. I may have to take it while I search for something with more hours and better pay." Mary Lou explained. "I'll need to find someone to watch the boys until I get home from work at night."

"I can watch the boys, since I do most of my bounty hunting during the day. I'm sure my mom and Grandma would be willing to fill in if I couldn't one night." I offered.

"If you're sure, but should you speak to your mom to make sure it's okay first?" She asked.

"I'll run it passed her, but I'm sure it will be fine. Besides it's just until you find something with better hours." I told her.

"Thanks Steph. I'll come by Rangeman in about a half hour to pick up Mikey. Could you make sure that he's ready? St. Francis has a group meeting for kids who have lost a parent every other week. I thought it might be good for the boys. While they kids have their session, the adults meet in the room next door for a group grief counseling session. I'll probably stay close to the boys this week, but if they adjust well to the group , I'll go to the adult session next time." Mary Lou told me.

"That sounds like a great idea, but how will Mikey feel about being group with a bunch of little kids?" I asked.

"They have another group for teenagers. The counselor at St. Francis said that Mikey was old enough to go with that group. She said that there were four or five kids his age from his school. Hopefully, it will make him more comfortable." She explained. "I want to run by your parents to pick up Tommy and Danny before I pick up Mikey. I'm afraid that Tommy and Danny may scare your mom out of babysitting for me, if I leave them with her for too long. They can be a handful if you're not used to them."

"Alright. I'll make sure that Mikey is ready when you get here." I promised. Once we said our good-byes, I went down to the gym to tell Mikey that his mom would be here soon. Lester offered to wait with Mikey in the Rangeman lobby.

Once Hal, Lester, and Mikey left the gym, Ranger asked, "Did Mary Lou have any luck finding a job today?"

"Yeah… sort of, she got a part time job waitressing at Pino's. It's in the evening so I offered to watch the boys while she was at work. Than won't cause a problem for you with the distraction jobs that I normally do, will it?" I asked.

"We can probably schedule most of the distraction jobs around her work schedule. IF we get in a bind, I'm sure Ella wouldn't mind watching the boys. She loves to be around kids." Ranger said.

"How was Mikey this afternoon?" I asked.

"He got better as the afternoon progressed. He's hurting pretty bad, which is understandable. I'm not sure but I think that he's somehow blaming himself for his dad's death." Ranger told me.

"Why would he possibly blame himself for Lenny dying?" I asked in shock.

"He probably thinks that if he went with his father, that he could have prevented it." Ranger explained.

"If he had been with Lenny, he could have gotten hurt or killed." I reasoned.

"You know that and I know that, and one of these days Mikey will realize that too. In the meantime, we just need to be there for him." Ranger said.

"Thanks for all your help Ranger. It was really great letting Mikey come to hang out today. You're the best." I smiled.

"Glad to know that you think so, Babe." He said before giving me a small, chaste kiss on the lips. "Let me know if Mary Lou can't find a job with better pay or hours. Maybe I can make some calls."

Before I realized it, I was alone in the gym. Even a small, chaste kiss from that man can make me forget my surroundings.


End file.
